Does baking yeast work?
I have a bunch of various yeasts I got at the brew store. The best and most efficient use would be to use small amounts of the yeast in a pack to make a good starter. You could then probable get a half dozen to a dozen runs out of one pack.
Couple years back I also bought a one pound pack of dried Distillers Yeast. Been in the bottom of my fridge ever since. Probably enough yeast in that one pack to brew 500,000 gallons of beer!
Or cider. Or whatever.
I still like the Safale. Overall, seems to give me the best, most consistent results.
I have also saved some of the trub from previous brews to pitch the next brew.
Sure having some Coopers malt extract, some ultra-refined sucrose and a special yeast is nice, but I roughed it for a while in a remote mountainside. You go with what you have and learn to make it better.
Hooch is sugars, water, and yeastie beasties. Period. Adjust for flavor and strength.
Humans have been doing this for thousands of years.
I do like having my store bought hygrometer, but in a pinch, I could make one. And I've always got iodine on hand for a starch test.
And after all, if it's TEOTWAWKI, and the stuff tastes like crap, you can always distill it and mix it with something that tastes good. ;)
/johnny